


Bars before Bullets

by Antiism88



Category: Batwoman (TV 2019)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23118625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antiism88/pseuds/Antiism88
Summary: Taking place before the Point Rock Sharpshooter competition referenced in 1x07
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

All the Point Rock senior women had gone twenty miles outside Gotham to The Desert Rose, the local dive bar that attracted mostly disaffected baby boomers just getting off their second shift jobs. It was a little grimy, the dart boards were torn to shreds, the booths were riddled with patches and the bar was stocked with all the cheapest liquor, but it was their little haven. Surrounded by men all day, constantly giving a whole range of looks, it was nice to spend time in their little sisterhood.

These nights out carried a bonus for Sophie. Between the cheap liquor and freedom from the male gaze, the sisterhood was always a little more free and touchy. Constantly worried about appearance and secrecy, Sophie tried to keep her eyes and hands off of Kate most of the day. While it did make their nightly meetups all the more explosive, she had to admit she craved giving the small signs of affections throughout the day so when they pulled into the parking lot on the back of Kate’s bike, she had all kinds of middle school butterflies in her stomach.

Swinging her leg off of the bike and removing her helmet, she took a quick scan of the dark parking lot. When it seemed the coast was clear, she wrapped her hands around Kate’s waist from behind. Swaying like that for a moment, she placed her mouth close enough to the other woman’s ear to feel the goosebumps appear and whispered, “You know if you drink too much, I will be the one driving your precious baby home?” Kate treated her bike like it was a precious heir.

“Oh, but aren’t you my precious baby?” Kate teased as she pivoted in the embrace to face Sophie.

“Cadet Corny strikes again,” Sophie touted back while fighting back a smile.

“Seems to be working out just fine for me,” Kate replied as she leaned in to kiss the other woman.

What started as a small peck quickly heated up for the pair. When Kate reached to place her hands in Sophie’s’ back pockets, a move known for its quickly escalating results, she dropped the helmet she had been holding causing the pair to break apart.

Laughing to themselves, both women grabbed their helmets and walked the path up to the bar knocking hips and teasing one another along the way.

When inside, they were greeted by their cohort. Head of the greeting committee was Tara Marvin, the smallest cadet in the entire school and known for drinking twice her body weight on sisterhood outings. Tara wrapped her arms around Kate’s neck and declared, “finally someone fun has arrived!” As she slurred through her words, she also slithered her hands down to Kate’s waist to pull her on to the dance floor.

Unable to say “no” to any drunken activity, Kate tossed her helmet back to Sophie with a playful shrug and followed Tara.

Sophie wasn’t a naturally jealous person. Her whole life was a rehearsal for staving off jealous feelings. Her folks had spent every penny they’d saved to move them to a neighborhood with a better school. She was always the poorest student in class and often the only person of color to boot. Constantly reminded by her mother to keep her head up and look forward instead of around at what others had, she was used to keeping her cool. All that said, her patience was often tested with Kate. Growing up with all the money and opportunity in the world, Kate was always trying to find the next ‘high’. She was like a walking confetti cannonball; reckless and bringing everyone around her into her careless spiral. It both maddened Sophie and attracted her to Kate like a magnet. And in this moment, made her cheeks flush with the tiniest bit of jealousy.

Deciding to lean into the moment, Sophie took a seat on the barstool near her bunkmate, Charlie. Probably the only person in the entire school that knew about her and Kate, though they never openly discussed it, Charlie could sense the tension and immediately ordered up a rum and coke for Sophie.

“I shouldn’t. I have a feeling I’m going to be the DD tonight,” Sophie said gesturing over to Kate on the dance floor. Her secret girlfriend was dancing with a shot ready in each hand.

“And I have a feeling you will need just this one to handle all of,” Charlie paused and waved her hands in the air obstructing Sophie’s view of the dance floor, “that”.

Sophie took a deep breath and started on the drink.

Swapping a few training horror stories from the day, Charlie had taken Sophie’s mind off of the situation. The two had a lot in common. Charlie was actually named ‘Charlotte’, but said she was ‘way too butch for a name like that’. They were both Gotham natives and the only black women in their year at the academy. When they reached their second year and could choose their own roommates, it was a ‘no brainer’ to pair up. Charlie was the first person to make Sophie feel like she had a home at the academy and she was so grateful for that in this moment.

As the first non-country song began to play, Charlie said, “Ok that’s our cue,” and grabbed for Sophie’s hand.

Reluctant at first and displaying the biggest of eye rolls, Sophie followed her out to the dance floor. Clearly a lot of other people had the same idea as the space became more and more crowded.

Charlie became closer and closer to Sophie as the songs progressed. At one point, her hands migrated a little too far down for Kate’s peering eyes, and Cadet Corny quickly waltzed over and playfully grabbed both of Sophie’s hands to dance her over to the bar.

“Dang, Kane, why you gotta be like that?” Charlie hollered at the pair as they walked off the floor. 

“I just thought Sophie might be a little….thirsty”, Kate yelled back with a giant smirk across her face.

“Ok, Corny, I see you,” Charlie remarked before turning to attention to some other cadets still out on the floor.

The culture of constant teasing between sister cadets made it remarkably easy to talk about things that were not out in the open-out in the open. And Kate was always taking advantage of it.

“Two shots of your best tequila, Pam,” Kate smiled flirtatiously at the elderly bartender. Pam had more tattoos than real teeth at this point in her life and had quickly become the mother or ‘fun aunt’ to all the Point Rock ladies.

“Comin’ right up, sugar,” Pam remarked as she set out to shot glasses and started to pour.

“If you aren’t gonna slow down, I don’t think I should have one of those,” Sophie challenged Kate.

“Oh come on, the night is young. I have lots of time and shitty bar food to sober me up,” Kate says as she made a pouty face while tucking a strand of Sophie’s hair behind her ear. Taking the cue from Sohie’s blush, she let her hand linger there stroking Sophie’s check with her thumb. They both had to play pretend so much during the day that it was always a comfort to Sophie to feel that realness in these stolen moments.

After taking in the moment and assessing the situation, Sophie pulled Kate’s hand away from her face as she pivoted off the barstool. “Care to put your money where your mouth is, Cadet Kane, and dance away some of those shots you had earlier?”

Sophie had pulled Kate close enough to her that she almost lost herself and learned in for a kiss. Reading and breaking the moment, Kate quickly wiggled one hand free and leaned back to down both of the shots left on the counter, “Ok, you win, Soph. Last of the night!”

Not at all what Sophie meant, she realized in then that it was going to be a long night.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t long before Sophie was basically holding Kate up on the dance floor. Part of her didn’t mind the extra contact, but mostly she was a bit annoyed that her secret girlfriend was acting a bit selfish. The two had both been looking forward to a night out with friends and had planned to sneak back to the barracks for some private time before the rest of the group got home, but this was par for the course with Kate Kane. Sophie couldn’t help but feel like she was always the responsible one. As much as she was falling in love with Kate, she wanted to be a partner, not a parent.

“You are so good to me, you know that?” Kate sloppily let out as she looked up directly into Sophie’s eyes.

She did. Probably too good she thought.

“No one as good as you has ever been as good to me. I didn’t think I would find anyone that feels like home to me after-“Kate was interrupted suddenly as Tara ran up to hug her from behind.

“Katie-girl!” Tara shouted louder than necessary, revealing her own state of intoxication. 

“Tiny Tara” Kate said as she turned to give the intruder a mocking bow.

“Charlie and Pearson are ganging up on me in darts. You gotta be my second!”

“Well, I am always happy to help a damsel in distress” Kate jokingly replied.

Sophie couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Kate noticed.

“Load ‘em up for me and I’ll be there in a sec” Kate said to Tara, who was already headed to the darts board.

Kate turned to Sophie and grabbed both of her hands to the other woman’s.

“You’re mad” she said as she exaggerated a head tilt to project a tone of innocence.

“You’re drunk” Sophie quickly retorted.

“I sober up quick. You know this. It’s the Kane curse. Don’t be mad. Just give me an hour to have some food and throw some darts. I’ll be as good as new to head back and hit another target” Kate smirked slyly.

“Wow” Sophie responded sarcastically, “Cadet Corny shoots and misses”.

“Come on, Soph. Just say you’re not mad.”

“Go have fun. We can talk about this later. I don’t want to cause any kind of scene. We are already so lax with things on nights like this” Sophie said.

“Are you sure? I can go. I mean we can go” Kate said, starting to let some notes of sober thinking sneak in.

“I’m sure. I’m gonna see if Pam can make you some of those cheesy jalapeño bites you like”

“An angel” Kate said as she placed a soft, quick kiss on Sophie’s cheek.

Sophie’s entire body warmed. She wasn’t sure it was from affection or anxiety that someone may have taken too much notice in the act.

An hour and a half had passed as Tara and Kate bested their competitors 5-3. Even tipsy, they were two of the best marksmen in their class. Sophie had also defeated her goal of getting Kate to eat not one, but two baskets of food and to drink her weight in water. As mad as she had been just an hour before, she couldn’t help but smile warmly as she caught Kate’s eye in the midst of her victory ‘lap’.

“Ok guys. I think I gotta tap out” Kate said to the group.

“What? It’s still two hours until bunk check, Kane!” Tara complained.

“I gotta get my beauty rest before I wipe the floor with you tomorrow, Marvin” Kate retorted.

“Oh, whatever. This is Momma Moore’s fault. Always ending the party early” Tara chided as she glanced at Sophie.

Sophie hated that nickname. Ironically, Kate was actually the first to coin the name when they met their first year; before things became romantic between them. When Sophie refused to break small rules here and there or went into caretaker mode making sure people hydrated after nights out. She told Kate how it bothered her one night and was surprised at how suddenly Kate had stopped using it. For someone so often careless, Kate took Sophie’s feelings seriously. It was one of the things Sophie loved most about Kate; she had a heart that felt others’ pain in a way that seemed almost supernatural. Unfortunately, the name stuck around the cohort.

The last thing she wanted to hear after such a long night, Sophie took a step forward to unleash her anger at Tara. Kate quickly stepped between them and put a hand on Sophie’s shoulder.

Staring at Tara, Kate said “I got her quaking in her boots, Moore. Let’s just head back and get ready to use that anger tomorrow. We don’t want her making excuses you hurt her trigger finger when you beat her”.

Slightly annoyed Kate had to defend her, but mostly ready to just get back to the barracks, Sophie just shook her head and walked back towards the table that held their helmets. 

When the two were safely outside, Sophie grabbed a hold of Kate’s free hand stopping them momentarily.

“You know I can handle myself without flying off the handle?” Sophie lamented.

“I know” Kate said with a confident coolness.

“I just hate when she does shit like that. She knows if she fucked up, her parents could just write Olsen a check and everything would go away. I can’t do that. I have to be careful. I have to be better.”

“I know” Kate said as soberly as any statement she had made that night.

Sophie placed both of her hands up to rub her temples to relieve the aggravation building in her voice.

“Close your eyes” Kate said.

“What?”

“Close. Your. Eyes.” Kate replied steadily.

“Kate, don’t play games. I’m exhausted. I just want to get back.”

“Soph, this is an order from Cadet Corny. Please, come on.”

“Ugh, fine” she said as she closed her eyes.

“Now put out your hands.”

“You’re pushing your luck, Kane” Sophie said as she reluctantly opened her palms in front of her.

She felt Kates fist in her palms.

“Ok now open them” Kate said as she released the contents of her fist into Sophie’s palms.

“No way” Sophie said with some giddiness as she saw the keys to Kate’s bike in her hands. “But you’re sober. Even Mamma Moore-approved level of sobriety”.

“You know, I was kind of glad when we agreed to stop using that term. It makes all my inappropriate thoughts feel way more inappropriate” Kate teased.

“Are you sure about this though? No jokes?”

“I could tell you were a little annoyed with me tonight and I should have listened to you from the start. We have a big day tomorrow and we HAD planned a big night. I just feel like you deserve something for being so caring and patient while I waltzed around like a Tara-level spoiled asshole”.

“Well, I don’t think you were THAT big of an asshole, but I will take the guilt gift if you’re sure you trust me.”

“Sophie,” Kate said as she moved to face the taller woman directly, “there is literally no one I trust more in this world.” As she let the words wash over her partner, she rose up to meet her mouth. The soft kiss lingered like a soft symphony of peace, washing away all the animosity of the night.


End file.
